Pro-Russian separatists will “liberate” the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Russia's Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Andrey Kelin, anticipated in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Friday.

Ukrainian forces are working to fortify the city; they claim that Russian intelligence groups have been spotted in the area.

Mariupol is “the second-biggest city in Donetsk Oblas, probably, and I believe that they are going to liberate,” Kelin said.

The majority of the area’s population “are ethnic Russians, although they are bearers of Ukrainian passports.”

So the fact that the city should fall from Ukrainian support, he said, “is natural, absolutely.”

Friday saw Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists agree to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. But NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Amanpour that there are several thousand regular Russian forces operating in Ukraine.

Amanpour asked Kelin whether Russia would withdraw these forces.

"There are no Russian forces in Ukraine, and this is absolutely sure.”

“But at the same time I do not deny at all that there might be volunteers over there.”

soundoff(93 Responses)

Dave Berna

People in Mariupol do NOT want Russian invaders in city. The people may die protecting city but will not hand over to Russia easily. Mariupol is Ukraine. Will always be Ukraine. Russians are liars and murderers. When Ukraine produces new equivalent weapons and Chechens revolt, Russia will be sorry.

They probably don´t, but they are going to get them anyway. Russia is going to have its say. Ukraine can go ahead and try to join the EU and NATO. All they have to give up are parts of the east of their country.

Why should they give up any of their land? Why do you think Russia will stop at the Eastern regions? Russia wants ALL of Ukraine, not just the border scraps. Putin has already said that no one can stand against him because he has the largest array of nuclear bombs and plans to increase his stockpile.

Russia is about to step out of an imposed dictatorship and turn into a terrorist country where Russia holds the world ransom via nuclear destruction every time it wants something.

Putin wants his Eurasian Union so bad he is willing to gamble what was left of his international standing. He's going for broke.

September 5, 2014 at 9:33 pm |

Mike

Russia doesn't want that depressive region of Donbass, it will be a huge expense. What they really want is 1) set an example to their own people how bad is a revolution, and 2) continental path to occupied Crimea, which is crucial to its srvival

September 6, 2014 at 11:45 pm |

StanCalif

Ukraine needs Western help, not just words and more words.
Since its independence, Ukraine has gone through what Russia went through (when the Soviet Union collapsed). It has struggled to find the right leader to bring the country into the 21st century. Unfortunately, the past two leaders didn't work out so well. Following the "Russian model", self enrichment was more important than building up a new country.
Yanukovich was the most destructive and the people began to see this. While the Ukrainians enjoyed some freedoms (long extinguished by Putin in Russia) they took to the streets – peacefully. Who fired the first shots is still a subject of debate which turned events the wrong way. Yanukovich steals everything he can get his hands on and flees to Russia for Putin's protection.
At its very weakest moment, politically and militarily, Putin organizes a campaign to re-claim Crimea for Russia. This action violates many UN rules and violates Russia's own agreements with Ukraine (when Ukraine gave up all its nuclear weapons in exchange for a promise of sovereignty). Yes, Russia guaranteed Ukraine's independence! So much for Putin's promises. Today, Putin tells all his outrageous lies about not being involved in Ukraine's domestic problems. The whole rest of the world (outside of Russia) believes none of this. Who shot down the Malaysian airliner? Missiles delivered from Russia did. Yet Putin denies any responsibility.
Finally, NATO is waking up to the threats their members face from Russia. Ukraine is not a NATO member, so immediate help was not provided. Still, Ukraine gets nothing but words and more words from the West and from NATO.
This Russian conquest is not going to go away, as many hope for. Ukraine has been sold out by everyone. It is time for the West and NATO to firmly confront the aggressions of Putin. He is no "humanitarian" and will not willingly stop until forced to do so!

Don't forget that Russia when enough provoked can hit every city in the US with nukes, And I assume the US is the real enemy of Russia I remember that years ago the US didn't want nukes being installed close to his borders, (the Cuba crisis) Russia as well will never acccept this.

September 6, 2014 at 5:45 am |

Ivan Ivanovich

Russia is a paper tiger. They have no nukes and their soldiers fight like babies. How pathetic!

September 6, 2014 at 3:21 pm |

Jim

It is quite shocking to see Russians now openly threatening nuclear war. Kiselev's not-so-very-well veiled threat, that Russia "could reduce the USA to radioactive ashes," came from the chosen head of the Putin-owned RT network and a critical time in his discussions with Obama – March 16, 2014. (If anyone is paying attention, Obama's hair turned noticeably greyer around that time.) It is fair to say that the threat came from Putin himself. Putin made this threat very clear to Obama and Obama's hair turned grey. It is serious. It is real. Putin intends to gobble up all the way to Lisbon. I heard a Russian lecture seriously arguing that Lon-don was a Russian place because 'don' means river in Russian. Using the threat of nuclear weapons to back it all up. Here we go...

September 7, 2014 at 12:09 am |

Western Propaganda

After you crushed locals with tanks and shot them during 9th of may celebration they don't want Ukrainian invaders in their city, that is true.

For "Erm": Ukraine was the Ukrainian part of the Russian Empire (just like Finland was the Finnish part of the Russian Empire, and Poland was the Polish part of the Russian Empire...ad nauseum)

September 9, 2014 at 7:18 pm |

Jim

Kelin is a shameless mouthpiece for a shameless master. He uses Ukraine's internal boundaries of Donetsk oblast to argue that Mariupol will be "liberated" but at the cost of ignoring that they intend to create entire new borders. Since they intend to make new borders, there is no need to include Mariupol, which does not have ethnic Russians, nor any pro-Russian sentiment. And the world just sits and watches.

What will be their self-serving arguments when it comes to Kerson and Odessa? This is disgusting, like being forced to watch your pet rabbit be squeezed and eaten by your neighbor's snake.

There is the paradox. The language that is the most convenient for everyone is being suppressed for ideological purposes. Not being even denied in schools.

People in the east call it a culturecide, hence the rebellion.

September 8, 2014 at 9:03 am |

Ricardo

To Erm: What are you talking about? The Russian language is not being prohibited anywhere in Ukraine. In the East, separatist support has always been very small, as confirmed by poll after poll and the complains of your GRU leaders saying that the locals weren't doing enough. Right now the Russians in the East are beheading people and sending the heads to their families. This is not the act of freedom fighters.

October 9, 2014 at 7:29 pm |

Deborah

Dear Amanpour
Please don't speak about sett lite because we remembered how your settlite ffound nuclear weapon in Iraq and what happened later"

I think the west is well aware if the evil intentions Russia has, this interview just confirms what we all are thinking.
There will be no peace in Ukraine since Russia wants to add it to their territory. Thank god we are all awake and see what is going on. Europe is united, the West is united and many parts of our world are united.

No peace for our time, we should stand together and stand beside the people of Ukraine.

I don't see a climate conducive to peace there. It is obvious Nato countries are scared of Russia and I have the impression the new Nato Gen sec is using Putin as a stepping stone for his gains. That's how he got his position, I think.

Ukrainian were fighting in the Chechen wars on the side of the islamist fundies that killed 300 kids in Beslan. So yeah, they were hostile.

September 8, 2014 at 5:28 am |

Anisha

What an illusion of power and racketeering on a mass scale. NATO is nothing more than a ‘gangsta’ for international central banking and was always used to keep 'central bank' debtor nations in their place.

Russia is now part of BRICS and dumped the US Fed notes with their own independent banking. Very wise. Its natural that Russia would be targeted as ‘rogue’ seeing they broke away from IMF/WORLD BANK/FED RESERVE.

Everyone of those NATO member countries are controlled by Federal Reserve central banking via IMF ‘caught in the devil’s bargain’…they must jump when ordered to ‘jump’…

Ukrainians are Using ambulances and helicopters with UN markings for transportation of soldiers. Poroshenko's thugs and their American masters are war criminals.

September 7, 2014 at 11:17 am |

Ivan Ivanovich

It's funny how the people in Mariupol totally detest the Russians and pro-Russian terrorists. They don't want liberated because they are free now. Slavery is not wanted. Putin, Go home. Nobody likes you. You are a PIG.

The people in Mariupol were so happy before Russian forces showed up. They kicked you out once already but now you're back with more and bigger tanks. You don't get it. These are not your people, this is not your country. Давайте пошли на члене друг с другом в своей же стране.

At least he admits that Russians in post-soviet space are being oppressed by illegal pro-US regimes like the Kiev junta.

September 7, 2014 at 10:58 am |

veerainteriors

I have one question to the Russia's Permanent Representative: When you are lying about the volunteers can you please complete your lies with explaining how a volunteer tank crew manages to "volunteer" a Russian army tank into Ukraine, by hundreds, how an artillery division is able to "volunteer" artillery batteries, rockets, etc. etc.?

Call it what you want, your evil world is going to end soon, the "volunteers and volunteered equipment" from Russia and Putin will have the exact ending and place in history as their predecessor Adolf.

Where's the proof that Russian active duty troops are engaging in combat in Ukraine? Can't they capture one on the battlefield? Don't any die in combat? Ukraine and Russia use the same military gear, so you cant tell whose equipment is whose. All I hear from news outlets is the same thing, we know Russia is responsible. How do we "know"? How can all major networks parrot the same government narrative? Where is the investigating reporting? A lie told enough becomes the truth. And why is one man, Putin responsible for a anti-Russian coup on its border? What would the US do if an anti-American coup in Mexico and we believed our people were in peril? Would we intervene? I certainly would hope so.

The difference between a tank battalion of active duty vs. "vacatioing" Russian and/or Chechen soldiers. They are just as much under the control of Putin either way. Even if Russia is not nationally responsible, Putin is personally responsible and he needs to go.

The whole world knows that Russian forces are fighting in Ukraine! Only Russian zombies brainwashed by their media dont know or don't want to now about it!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/06/elena-racheva_n_5774138.html

he situation changed later on, and soldiers are now forced to go. Usually it works like this - the regiment is sent to the Russian-Ukrainian border for "training" and after a while they get the order to go into Ukraine. I know of at least one case when soldiers who refused were threatened with prosecution.

Sometimes the soldiers aren't even told where are they going. For example, the uncle of one seriously wounded paratrooper told me that on Aug. 3, his nephew was told they were being deployed from Ulyanovsk in central Russia to Chebarkul in the east. After a few hours they realized they weren't going east at all, but west towards Ukraine. He didn’t jump out of the car and didn’t refuse to go into Ukraine, but I doubt he could be considered a volunteer.

What evidence is there that Russian troops are fighting in Ukraine?

The evidence is simple but convincing - soldiers who have been killed, wounded or captured. I personally talked to the relatives of paratroopers from the 331st regiment of Russia's 98th Guards Airborne Division, who were killed and captured about 20 km [about 12 miles] inside Ukraine. I also spoke to the family of a soldier from the 31st Air Assault Brigade from Ulyanovsk who lost his leg in a fight in Ukraine, and the mother of a soldier from Division 2777 based in Chechnya, who died near the Ukrainian town of Snizhne. Russian officials admitted that troops had been captured, but President Vladimir Putin said they got lost while patrolling the border.

Shellings that broke the truce were directed against Kiev forces, so it is clear that the Pro-Russian "rebels" were the ones who violated ceasefire http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/uk-ukraine-crisis-idUKKBN0GZ18820140906
but this is really not a surprise at all

Russian forces have already broken the cease-fire. They are shelling the outskirts of Mariupol right now.

There are pictures on Facebook page of Добровольческий батальон "АЗОВ", Volunteer Battalion AZOV. They are really brave guys – they are surrounded by Russian forces and not allowed to fire. But they've sworn to defend Mariupol to the end. Many citizens are also staying on. The Russians still haven't to figured out how to spin this one in the media...

To Sam Brown. Your knowledge of situation in Ukraine is very poor. There is plenty enough proof of Russian troops are engaging. A few dozens of them were captured and shown on Ukrainian TV. Each and every one of them confirmed everything.

When asked about the fate of Mariupol, Russian Ambassador Kelin argues that "Mariupol is a part of Donetsk oblast, and that is a fact of life, I am afraid. It is the second biggest city in Donetsk oblast and I believe they are going to liberate it."

And what kind of logic is that?? Russia is redrawing Ukraine's external borders but insists on Mariupol because it is part of Donetsk oblast. Maddening, self-serving irrationality.

Here is the counter-argument – Donetsk oblast is part of Ukraine. And that is a fact of life, I am afraid. You can't just take whatever you want in this world, Mister."

The resistance should maintain it's offensive and liberate the areas of Novorossia illegally occupied by pro-US Kiev junta. Ukies don't respect the ceasefire anyway and will use it to gather strength and re-launch their campaign of slaughtering civilians.

It is clear now that wherever US thugs appear there is only blood and destruction. Let's wish good luck to the anti-maidan resistance bringing freedom from US oppression to freedom loving peoples of Europe.

If one is unfamiliar with the recent history of Russian involvement in Ukraine. Abductions, beatings, tortures, kidnapings and killings perpetrated with the full cognizance of the Russian army and it secret service organizations in Ukraine during last half year. Also Putin's puppet media does wonders, trust me and there are no else media in Russia.

The mainstream media coverage is extremely simplistic and naive: Russia bad, Ukraine good. Putin – black hat, Poroshenko – white hat. Russia invades, NATO defends its borders. This is all brainwash of western taxpayers. First, "Ukraine government forces" are very heterogeneous: there are ones loyal to Poroshenko, and there are some loyal to other billionaires who are his opponents; there are ultranationalists/fascists, there are simply thugs. The same heterogeniety is on the "pro-Russian side". All of them, including Poroshenko, are fighting for assets. Some fight for ideas, which are quite diverse too. The interest of Russia is to keep NATO bases away from its heartland. For those geographically challenged: Luhansk is only 200 miles away from Volgograd (Stalingrad).

Obviously, NATO position in Ukraine will cut off Russia from Black Sea and Caucasus, which would make Moscow as happy as DC would be if France wanted to reclaim "Louisiana" taking control over Mississippi basin and setting a base in Saint Louis.

The interest of US is of course undermine the Russian Empire, strengthen control over Europe and add Ukraine to its list of client states, making a few billion on arms sales and "training of the military". Like in Iraq.

Russia is accused of supporting separatists. What about Qatar or Saudi Arabia's support of ISIS? Why there are no sanctions against those human right-oppressing kingdoms? Then, US is sending troops and bombs other countries whenever it feels like it. Why this is not a violation of international law? Explain this to the "freedom fighters" in Donetsk...

Peaceful christian nation that is killing it's own population for having a different opinion you mean.

September 8, 2014 at 5:19 am |

Jacob Schonberg

Russia is just out to steal from Ukraine all the areas where can be produced oil and gas – But they forgot the Budapest contract ! The will have to honor that in the end. Russia has plenty of cost to Black sea.

Such a moron! and his ENGLISH IS HORRIBLE!
RUSSIAN FORCES ARE NOT IN UKRAINE! LIERS LIERS LIERS
STOP LYING RUSSIAN MORONS! NOBODY TRUSTS YOU ANYMORE! NOBODY!!!!!
THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD A BUILD A HUGE WALL ON THE BORDERS WITH RUSSIA AND STOP ANY KNIND OF RELATIONSHIP! LETS SEE HOW YOU GOING TO SURVIVE WITHOUT WEST! THAT WHAT YOU DESERVE:
TOTAL ISOLATION!!!!

Russia wants to annex Donbass! First FSB and Putin, stole the assets from Yukos and put Kodarkovsky in jail. This oil and gas paid for the economic development in Russia. The war in Chechnya was all about the oil and gas there . Then the war in Gergia came because Russia wanted to annex the neighbour areas also because of oil and gas. In Crimea was just found interesting oil prospects , and in Azov See is also both oil and gas, so Russia annex Crimea. Then why Donbass ? Because in Donbass is huge amounts of schale from which can be extracted oil and gas, This cost only half what Ukraine must pay for Russian gas.
Russia is just a thief . Lying and waging wars . Without democracy , without fair legal system , with lots of corruption and this secret police everywhere . FSB also want to control the internet in Russia. By the way Russias new best friend is North Korea.

Germans were confronted with images of their country’s dark past on Monday night, when German public broadcaster ZDF showed video of Ukrainian soldiers with Nazi symbols on their helmets in its evening newscast. In a report on the fragile cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, Moscow correspondent Bernhard Lichte used pictures of a soldier wearing a combat helmet with the "SS runes" of Hitler’s infamous black-uniformed elite corps. A second soldier was seen with a swastika on his gear. “Volunteer battalions from nearly every political spectrum are reinforcing the government side,” the ZDF correspondent said in his report.

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